Arriving on a very wet and cold day in Arras did not bode well. BUT we had 2 wonderful days with Faye seeing the Western Front. Faye is Canadian and this really enriched our understanding of the dynamics of the BEF on the Western Front. She was very professional, very knowledgable and so enthusiastic to share her knowledge it made these tours some of the best we have ever undertaken. Her understanding of the Australian contribution to these horrendous battlefields was excellent. We so enjoyed her company as well. Would recommend Sacred Ground tours highly. A fantastic experience. Thank you to Phil and to Faye

We met Phil during a tour of the Somme battlefield sites in northern France. As a passionate amateur historian who has studied the Australian contribution to the Great War extensively, finally getting to see and experience the Somme was a sombre but fascinating experience. Phil Hora’s knowledge of the battles, the various allied and enemy forces, their deployments and especially his incredible sense of spatial place and dimension made the time spent at Somme even more worthwhile. I will always be grateful to Phil for his generously provided time and knowledge. If you are an Aussie, Canuk, Kiwi or Pom I would urge you to go to the Somme to “understand” a little better what our incredible forbears suffered and achieved. It will make you sad and proud in equal measures. if you do I would urge you, if possible, to use Phil’s fantastic tour service to do so, he is as we say in Australia “a bloody good bloke who knows his stuff!”

Just wanted to link in to say thank you for the tour you took us on recently.  Both Maree and I thoroughly enjoyed it and really appreciated your insights, the history lesson and the connections you made for us.

It was certainly a great day yesterday. The museums and various war cemeteries were something I found very profound & will remember always.

Once again thank you for a really wonderful two days touring the western front. It was really a very memorable time, made with so much more meaning because of your knowledge, enthusiasm and pathos.

Phil is truly knowledgeable of the WWI battles and a whole bunch of other interesting stories. There is nothing like standing in the trenches or walking through the underground tunnels to help you visualize the horror that the soldiers endured. We covered a lot of territory in one day and we learned a lot. An excellent tour.

My wife and I and a friend spent a full day exploring the Western Front with Phil Hora, an Australian who lives in Arras and who owns and runs Sacred Ground Tours. We caught the train from Paris and Phil met us at the station at 9am. As there was only 3 of us we had a car which made for extremely comfortable travel. Phil’s knowledge and passion for WW1 history is all-encompassing and thorough. His explanations of geographical and cultural features was excellent. Phil was able to take us to see the major battle sites of the Somme, museums, memorials and numerous cemeteries, including those containing the graves of our Great Uncles… an incredibly moving experience. Lunch was also provided at an excellent restaurant at Villiers Brettoneux. No hesitation in recommending this tour.

I knew that seeing the endless rows of tombstones sitting in such serene, beautiful surroundings was going to be difficult so I was hoping for a tour guide who could provide the history plus combine it with humanity. PHIL certainly did this. He has enormous knowledge of the battles, and a sincere interest in people: the soldiers in the ground and the locals who live in these areas who continue to honour the ANZAC spirit. Phil’s easy Aussie manner was perfect – we shared conversation as well as tears. Two amazing days – thanks Phil
I would recommend that you have a battlefield map with you for reference – there’s such a lot to take in.